Nnedi Okorafor – Who Fears Death?
This is my first encounter with African Sci-fi (or Afro-futurism, if you may) and I loved it! I must confess, I had no idea what to expect – how do we talk about voodoo and muti in a futuristic sense? Nnedi laid it all down. One (I) might be apprehensive when reading about African “culture,” for lack of a better word, from someone whose life was spent mostly in the US, but to my surprise the book is relatable. All the characters are real; they read like people I know in my own life, and that’s one of the reasons why this book is AMAZING. It tells the story of a young lady coming of age and discovering so much about herself, her lineage and the purpose she was born for. Excellent, excellent read.
Taiye Selasi – Ghana Must Go
Ghana Must Go is another first for me. You could say Nigerian authors have dominated my African reading experience, so I looked forward to learning about another place, again through the eyes of a Diaspora citizen. What I love about this book is that it catches you off-guard – nothing Selasi writes is heading in the direction you think it is, and that makes the reading experience absolutely enjoyable. I must confess, her writing style is one I had to adapt to, and I only grew comfortable with her words two-thirds into the book, but I am glad I held on. She tells the story of a broken family who are reunited by tragedy – yes, it sounds like you’ve heard this all before, but Selasi adds a little something that makes it worth the read.
